Disability benefit stopped for missing certificate
Payment stopped because the Department had not received medical evidence after October; it resumed after a new certificate arrived, with arrears paid through 7 March. Pattison said certificates had been submitted and urged advance notice before payments stop; Woods cited the volume of claimants.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in the payment of disability benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny.
Comment on this
The person concerned has been paid disability benefit regularly each week from 1973 to 31 January 1981. She is required to furnish a medical certificate at monthly intervals only. Payment ceased on 31 January 1981 as no medical evidence of incapacity for work had been received since October 1980. A medical certificate dated 2 February 1981 was subsequently received and payment of benefit has been resumed. Payment of all benefit due to 7 March 1981 has now been made.
Comment on this
Is the Minister aware that certificates were submitted? In a case like this would it not be far better for the Minister to send a note to a person who has been on disability benefit for almost ten years informing her that the certificate had not been received rather than cutting her off without letting her know why she was being cut off? The Minister should adopt that system.
Comment on this
It would mean issuing 45,000 letters a week for those people alone. That is the number of people in that situation. That is what the Deputy is talking about in terms of the administration of any of these schemes. As far as the system is concerned, people who change from weekly——
Comment on this
There are 45,000 people on this system of automatic cheque issue, paid in advance of medical certificates. They know they must submit a certificate monthly. The problem would be having to send so many.
